| You might see a book in the catalogue listed as STACK. These are books which are housed behind the scenes in the Central Library - items that the Library definitely wants to keep, but for some reason (e.g. older condition, or not in as high demand) the open shelf is not the right place for them. Most can be borrowed. Please ask at the enquiries counter on the Second Floor and staff will be happy to retrieve them. This web-page will highlight some of these nearly forgotten treasures, and be updated with a new stack topic every two months. The author's selections and recommendations of these golden oldies are entirely idiosyncratic!
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Farming practices have moved on, but this offers a nostalgic insight into the daily life of many of our fathers and grandmothers.
 | Big country of the North Island, by Peter Newton. (1969) A history of nearly fifty stations in the North Island, from White Rock in the Wairarapa to Waipaoa, north of Gisborne. Each account includes the history of the station as well as anecdotes of dogs, cooks, cattlemen and all the activities that made up station life. |
 | Another book along the same vein is Christopher Lethbridge's Sunrise on the hills, which focuses on a musterer's year on one station - Ngamatea. Newton has written many similar books, including Straggle muster, where he covers the man's world of mustering the sheep missed in the previous muster. |
 | The Shepherd's dogs, by Cecil Hartley. (var. edns) If you have a yen for a bit of backyard dog trialling, this authorative book is the one for you. Written from the author's own experience as a triallist, it describes his training methods in detail, whether heading or huntaways. |
Farm and creamery cheese-making, Bulletin 43, published by Great Britain Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. (1941)
The local dairy (cheese) factory was, with the school or church, often the only building constituting a "settlement", dotted around the farmland. Farmers rolled up there each day with the cans rattling in the back of the gig or truck to offload the milking. This book is a how-to for cheese-making, covering general processes, before particular methods for different types of cheeses.
Field with geese : a book about the domestic goose, by Lyn Lloyd Newman. (1960)
This is the account of one English farmer's years of raising and caring for geese. It covers their behaviour with other animals, the sick goose, grass conditions, and feeding etc as well as a diary through a year.
Grass to milk : A New Zealand philosophy, by Campbell McMeekan.(1961).
Hailed as "the best book on grassland management I have read" in the foreword by Prof. Cooper (University of Durham), this is intended not as a textbook, but as a series of essays on the philosophy of dairy farming to those interested in farming attitudes. Despite the theoretical sounding sub-title, McMeekan, (who was based at Ruakura Animal Research Station) covers a wealth of practical advice, including establishing and improving the herd, herd health, rearing young stock, efficient milk production, silage and haymaking - all within the prism of pasture production.
Heavy horses : breeds and management, by Herman Biddell. (1919).
Although Clydesdales may seldom be seen other than in parades and shows now, there was a time that they were an essential asset of every farm, and essential to transport in the city.
People with long ears : a practical guide to donkey-keeping, by Robin Borwick. (1965)
"Donkeys are not easy pets", writes Borwick, "and if you want easy pets, try goldfish". For those that have decided that this is the animal for them, it is described as a comprehensive handbook for all donkey lovers.
Queen rearing, by Louis Snelgrove. (1946).
Bee-keeping has fallen on a few hard times recently, but this is twinned with a growing rediscovery of the health benefits of honey. As the title suggests, this book centres more specifically all aspects of rearing queens - as the productiveness of the hive depends primarily on the age and qualities of its queen.
Sheep-o : the story of the world's fastest shearers, by A.R. Mills. (1960)
The Bowen family names (Godfrey and Ivan) are household names in NZ, extending well beyond the shearing fraternity. This covers eye-witness accounts of great feats of shering, as well as yarns of the past. Who was the fastest shearer?
Successful trapping methods, by Walter Chansler. (1955)
A practical book by an experienced trapper. Firstly, there are general chapters on overall aspects such as choosing locations, and equipment, before individual sections on individual sepcies - their habits and best method of trapping. Look past the American context to (like the others) an insight into social history of times past.
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Please don't hesitate to contact the author if you wish to share your comments and views on these or any other stack book, or view previous editions. Happy delving!
